Analytics setup

Analytics Setup

GA4 Setup Checklist

Initial Configuration

• Create GA4 property (separate from UA if migrating)
• Install gtag.js or use GTM container
• Enable enhanced measurement (scroll, outbound clicks, file downloads, video, site search)
• Link to Google Search Console
• Link to Google Ads (if running paid)
• Set up data retention to 14 months (default is 2)
• Configure internal traffic filter (exclude your IP + office IPs)
• Set up cross-domain tracking if applicable
• Configure consent mode for GDPR/CCPA compliance

Conversion Configuration

• Define key conversions (max 30 in GA4)
• Mark high-value events as conversions
• Set revenue parameters on purchase events
• Verify conversions in DebugView before going live

Event Taxonomy

Naming Convention

[object]_[action]  (snake_case, all lowercase)

Examples:
  signup_started
  signup_completed
  trial_activated
  plan_upgraded
  feature_used
  report_exported
  invite_sent
  invite_accepted

Standard Events to Track (SaaS)

Event	Parameters	Trigger
page_view	page_path, page_title	Every page load
signup_started	source, plan	Signup form opened
signup_completed	plan, method	Account created
trial_activated	plan	Trial period begins
onboarding_step_completed	step_name, step_number	Each onboarding step
feature_used	feature_name, context	Feature first use
invite_sent	count	Invite submitted
plan_upgraded	from_plan, to_plan, revenue	Upgrade completed
subscription_cancelled	plan, reason	Cancellation confirmed
report_generated	report_type	Report created

Data Layer Implementation (GTM)

// Push event to data layer
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
window.dataLayer.push({
  event: 'signup_completed',
  user_id: '{{user_id}}',
  plan: 'pro',
  method: 'google_oauth',
  signup_date: '{{ISO_date}}'
});

GTM Tag Template for GA4 Events

Tag Type: Google Analytics GA4 Event
Configuration Tag: [your GA4 config tag]
Event Name: {{DL - event}}
Parameters:
  - plan: {{DL - plan}}
  - method: {{DL - method}}
Trigger: Custom Event — matches RegEx: signup_.*

Conversion Tracking

Conversion Hierarchy

Macro conversions (primary):   Trial, Demo, Purchase
Micro conversions (secondary): Newsletter, Content Download, Webinar Registration
Engagement conversions:        Video play, Scroll 75%, Time on site > 3min

Revenue Tracking (ecommerce)

gtag('event', 'purchase', {
  transaction_id: 'T_12345',
  value: 99.00,
  tax: 0,
  currency: 'USD',
  items: [{
    item_id: 'plan_pro_monthly',
    item_name: 'Pro Plan Monthly',
    price: 99.00,
    quantity: 1
  }]
});

UTM Strategy

UTM Governance Rules

1. Always use UTMs on paid links, email links, partner links
2. Never use UTMs on internal links (breaks attribution)
3. Standardize via a shared UTM builder spreadsheet
4. Use lowercase only; spaces become %20 — use underscores instead

UTM Taxonomy by Channel

Channel	utm_source	utm_medium	utm_campaign
Google Search	google	cpc	[campaign-name]
Google Display	google	display	[campaign-name]
Meta Ads	facebook / instagram	paid-social	[campaign-name]
LinkedIn Ads	linkedin	paid-social	[campaign-name]
Newsletter	[newsletter-name]	email	[issue-name-or-date]
Partner	[partner-name]	referral	[partnership-name]
Affiliate	[affiliate-name]	affiliate	[program-name]
Podcast	[podcast-name]	audio	[episode-name]

UTM Builder (Python snippet)

from urllib.parse import urlencode, urlparse, urlunparse, parse_qs

def build_utm_url(base_url, source, medium, campaign, content=None, term=None):
    params = {
        'utm_source': source.lower().replace(' ', '_'),
        'utm_medium': medium.lower().replace(' ', '_'),
        'utm_campaign': campaign.lower().replace(' ', '_'),
    }
    if content:
        params['utm_content'] = content.lower().replace(' ', '_')
    if term:
        params['utm_term'] = term.lower().replace(' ', '_')
    separator = '&' if '?' in base_url else '?'
    return f"{base_url}{separator}{urlencode(params)}"

Dashboard Design

Executive Dashboard (weekly)

Metrics to show:

• Total conversions (trials/demos) vs target
• Traffic by channel (trend, not just total)
• Conversion rate by channel
• Revenue / pipeline generated
• MoM growth rate

Channel Performance Dashboard

Metric	Google	Meta	LinkedIn	Organic	Email
Sessions
Leads
Lead CR%
CAC
ROAS

Funnel Dashboard

Build a Looker Studio (free) funnel with:

1. Visitors → Leads → MQLs → SQLs → Customers
2. Conversion rate at each step
3. Time-to-convert distribution
4. Cohort comparison (this month vs last month)

Attribution Models

Choosing the Right Model

Sales Cycle	Recommended Model
< 7 days	Last touch or time decay
7–30 days	Linear or U-shaped
30–90 days	U-shaped or W-shaped
90+ days / Enterprise	Data-driven or custom

Revenue Attribution Report (SQL)

-- First-touch attribution
SELECT
  first_touch_source,
  COUNT(DISTINCT customer_id) AS customers,
  SUM(arr) AS attributed_arr,
  AVG(days_to_close) AS avg_sales_cycle
FROM customers
JOIN attribution ON customers.id = attribution.customer_id
WHERE attribution.touch_type = 'first'
GROUP BY 1
ORDER BY 3 DESC;

Reporting Cadence

Report	Frequency	Audience	Key Questions
Traffic & leads	Daily	Marketing team	Any anomalies?
Channel performance	Weekly	Marketing lead	What's working / not?
Funnel report	Weekly	Marketing + Sales	Where's the bottleneck?
Revenue attribution	Monthly	Leadership	Which channels drive revenue?
Cohort analysis	Monthly	Product + Marketing	Are retained users from better channels?
Attribution audit	Quarterly	Marketing lead	Are models still valid?